About 90% infants in rural Gurugram vulnerable to infectious diseases

  • | Friday | 9th November, 2018

GURUGRAM: With only 10.8 coverage, poor vaccination in the rural parts of Gurugram puts nearly 90 per cent of infants at risk of contracting deadly infectious diseases including tuberculosis, measles, and polio. Immunization is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year around the world. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments, with proven strategies that make it accessible to even the most remote and vulnerable populations. Epidemiologist VN Tiwari says, “More than 25 children have died due to diphtheria outbreak in Nuh district since May this year. The numbers, provided by the National Family Health Survey 4 ( NFHS4 ), add to the worry as overall vaccination rates in the state has dropped from 65.3 per cent to 62.2 per cent in the past 10 years.

GURUGRAM: With only 10.8 coverage, poor vaccination in the rural parts of Gurugram puts nearly 90 per cent of infants at risk of contracting deadly infectious diseases including tuberculosis, measles, and polio. The numbers, provided by the National Family Health Survey 4 ( NFHS4 ), add to the worry as overall vaccination rates in the state has dropped from 65.3 per cent to 62.2 per cent in the past 10 years. UNICEF-India identifies Haryana as one of the states with highest inequity between rural and urban areas when it comes to immunisation programmes.The resistance to an infectious disease is developed by the administration of a vaccine within 5 years after birth in a phased manner under immunization programme.“The poor immunization rates are a rather alarming situation not only because it paves way for wider prevalence of infectious diseases but also because this can contribute to the numbers of children dying at a very young age. Immunization is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year around the world. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments, with proven strategies that make it accessible to even the most remote and vulnerable populations. It can be delivered effectively through outreach activities," says Dr Manish Mannan, head of department, Paediatrics, Neonatology, Paras Hospitals.He is of the opinion that in absence of maintaining optimum rates of immunisation or “herd immunity”, the diseases prevented by vaccination will return and many infections can spread regardless of better hygiene, sanitation and clean water.However, despite launching ‘Mission Indradhanush’ in 2014 aiming to achieve universal vaccination coverage, we face a large population that is unimmunised. “Vaccine hesitancy refers to delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services and is acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a complex and context-specific global problem. The most effective way to address this issue is to initiate dialogue-based approach directly targeted to a specific under-vaccinated population group,” says Dr Himanshu Batra, consultant- pediatrician, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurugram.Vaccine hesitation is what emerged as the biggest hurdle in containing diphtheria outbreak in neighboring Nuh district. Epidemiologist VN Tiwari says, “More than 25 children have died due to diphtheria outbreak in Nuh district since May this year. Around 99% deaths occurred in pockets of minor community who refuses vaccination believing the rumours for last so many years that vaccine is deliberately given to their children by the governments to render their children infertile and, to contain their population. All our endeavours to instill sense in them are proving futile.”

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